Paul and Lucy Spadoni periodically live in Tuscany to explore Paul’s Italian roots, practice their Italian and enjoy “la dolce vita.”
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Friday, April 20, 2018

Elena Benvenuti and students from liceo guide our tour group through a leap into Lucca’s Roman past

Elena expounds on Lucca's origins to a large
tour group in the piazza of the Anfiteatro.

Thanks to
recent research and archeological discoveries, the Roman roots of Lucca are
gradually becoming clearer—and known to the public. The latter is partly thanks
to the passion of history buffs like Lucca native Elena Benvenuti.

Elena
recently organized and directed a tour of more than 40 people to explore Roman
artifacts and explain the influence that Roman society had on Lucca. Once
inhabited by Etruscans, Lucca
became a Roman colony in 180 BC. The Romans built a walled city with streets in
a grid pattern, complete with an amphitheater used for gladiatorial battles, a
theater for music and drama, a large forum and fancy homes for wealthy
government officials.

Remnants of the Roman blocks at one of
the entrances to the Antiteatro of Lucca.

Elena
showed our tour group a Roman sarcophagus in Palazzo Pfanner and pointed out
pieces of Roman walls of the amphitheater and theater before taking us to the
Domus Romana, the remains of an important building from the first century
before Christ. The home is now known as the “Casa del Fanciullo sul Delfino,” a
name that comes from the drawing of two cupids riding on a dolphin in a frieze
that was found in the house. The house was discovered during the restoration of
the Orsucci Palace in the summer of 2010, and now the site is a museum. The
group watched a documentary video on the uncovering of the ancient domus, at which site a Roman coin was also found, helping archaeologists date the ruins.

Caesar and Pompey drink a toast to the plans they made at the First Triumvirate, which was held in Lucca, probably close to this very location in the Domus Romana. The meeting was re-enacted by local students for our tour group.

From the
writings of Plutarch, it is known that Lucca was the site of a secret
high-level meeting between Caesar, Pompey and Crassus in 56 BC. The three
conspired to maintain their various spheres of power and influence. “Most of
the men of the highest rank and greatest influence came to see him (Caesar) at
Lucca,” Plutarch wrote, “including Pompey, Crassus, Appius the governor of
Sardinia and Nepos the proconsul of Spain.” Caesar helped many candidates for
office “win their elections by corrupting the people with money from him.” In
return, they voted to provide Caesar with an additional five years of
provincial command and allotted him more money from the government’s coffers.

The
meeting, known at the First Triumvirate, also resulted in Crassus obtaining the
influential and lucrative governorship of Syria, to use as a base for a grand
campaign to conquer Parthia. Pompey would retain his holdings in Hispania. A
highlight of the tour came when students from the Liceo Majorana of Capannori
acted out the secret meeting of the powerful trio in the very location that it
probably took place, the Domus Romana.

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First off, before you hassle me about our title, Lucy thought of it. Yes, I know some people may think broad is derogatory, but the etymology is uncertain and she doesn’t find it offensive, and it made me laugh. We have been married since 1974 and are empty-nesters now, which allows me to bring my submerged Italophilia into the open. We first came to live in Italy from February-April in 2011 and have returned during the same months every year. From 2011-2015, we lived in San Salvatore, at the foot of the hilltop city Montecarlo, where my paternal grandparents were born, raised and, in 1908, married. In late 2015, we bought a home in Montecarlo. We come for a variety of purposes: We want to re-establish contact with distant cousins in both Nonno’s and Nonna’s families, we want to learn the language and see what it is like to live as Italians in modern Italy, we like to travel and experience different cultures. Even if we aren’t successful at achieving these purposes, we love Italy and enjoy every moment here, so there is no chance we will be disappointed. I am grateful to God for giving me a wife who is beautiful, clever, adaptable and willing to jump into my dreams wholeheartedly.